Vending machines offer unattended sales of commodities such as snacks, canned or bottled beverages, or any of a variety of other articles. Many operators will operate a number of different vending machines in conjunction with each other, as for example when a bank of vending machines—some vending snacks or candy and others vending packaged beverages—is placed into operation at a single location, often with the vending machines side-by-side. Coordinating operation of such vending machines is desirable for a variety of reasons, such as offering discounts for “group” purchases including a snack and a beverage or in attracting customer attention to the vending machines.
There is, therefore, a need in the art for improved synchronization of operations within a network of vending machines.